Ironic Irresistibility
by Ss-Miny-Otaku-Lover
Summary: There's a very fine line between love and hate. Usually when you think you hate someone...it's misplaced attration. AU, SS
1. Chapter one

Ironic Irresistibility

Disclaimer: ::burns disclaimer to flames:: What more do you want to know? I don't own a bloody thing. . .now leave me to cry in piece in the corner ::runs to dark corner and cries over-exaggerated::

Summary: Never resist temptation, when the first look is all you need. The only way to get rid of a temptation is to yield to it. AU, S/S

A.N. ::bows head in shame:: The plot bunny has been eating my soul. . .thus this is what happened when I wanted to go squishy. ::falls::

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It was just another ordinary morning. . .

"God! You know. . .sometimes. . .I just want to burn your eye with a really hot French-fry."

"Well, I hope your tires get eaten by acidic snails!"

Yep. Just another normal, run of the mill day. Leaning against the wall of lockers in the hallway was the ever famous Syaoran Li. His brilliant piercing amber eyes were opened half-lidded, and his infamous smirk was present on his face. He crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow.

"Acidic snails? Honestly Kinomoto, can't you be a little more creative?"

"What about you mister French-fry eye burner?"

Sakura Kinomoto stood in front of the aforementioned boy. Her emerald green eyes burned with rage and disdain for the chocolate haired boy. Her nails dug into her skin as her hand slowly, and painfully, turned into a fist. How she wanted to punch the smirk off his stoned face.

"Mister French-fry eye burner. . .hmm. . .I kinda like the sound of that. Thanks a lot Kinomoto, now I have something else to call myself by," he said, patting the considerably smaller girl on the head.

"What the crap?" she asked incredulously, swatting his hand away from her auburn locks. "You know what Li? You need to stop taking drugs, immediately."

"Ouch Kinomoto, I think you hurt a heart string there! But you should know, I don't do drugs anymore 'cause I find I get the same effect just by standing up really fast."

"Spare me Li. Can you honestly tell me that you're not on crack?"

"Why Kinomoto, I would never do crack. . .I would never do a drug named after a part of my own ass, okay," his lips tilted into a grin watching the girl take a deep breathe before she blew up at him.

"Fuck off Li!"

"I think I'd rather fuck you," he said, moving from his position on the lockers to take a further step toward Sakura. His grin widened as he saw her take a step back from him.

"God your infuriating!"

"And your delicious." He took a step closer, and she took another step back.

"I Can't Stand You!"

"Can't stand me?" he put his hand on Sakura's shoulder, "or can't stand not being _near_ me?"

"Can't stand you period!" She yelled angrily, pushing him and arms length away from her. " Just sod the bloody hell off!"

And on that note, with light pink tinged cheeks, Sakura Kinomoto stalked away from the grinning Syaoran Li.

"Why do you keep messing with her?"

Syaoran turned around only to face the always mischievous eyes of his best friend, Eriol. Syaoran shrugged his shoulders and slouched, putting his hands into his pockets.

"I don't know. . .it's funny to see her get all riled up over nothing." Eriol chuckled and shook his head.

"What was the problem this time?"

Syaoran's mouth twitched up at the corners at the remembrance of the bickering that just took place. "She called me a dreg, I told her I wanted to stick a hot French-fry in her eye. . ."

Eriol laughed full heartedly by this point. Leave it Syaoran to come up with a line like that. It was after Syaoran started to yawn, that Eriol noticed how his eyes looked. They where slightly bloodshot and didn't open all the way. All together with his "Monday" black tee and extremely tousled hair, he definitely looked like he was either high, or lacking sleep.

Giving his best friend the shadow of the doubt that it was indeed the lack of sleep instead of the latter, he began to wonder if Syaoran was up because of his full blown insomnia. . .or if it was because of the reoccurring dreams he has had since they where children.

Just as Eriol opened his mouth to ask such a question, the bell rang signaling everyone dragging behind to get to their classes. . .fast.

"Well, guess this is the part where I'm late to class. See ya tonight alright?" Syaoran gave a half smile and took off slowly down the long corridor, his slouching figure slowly becoming smaller as he got further away.

"Poor guy. . .still hasn't given up those memories. . ." Eriol shook his head and started to his own classroom.

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Though the closed door, Sakura could still hear the angry yelling of the teacher to a certain boy. It made her grin madly, and that brought upon frightened faces of her friends.

"Sakura? Did it happen again this morning?"

Sakura sighed and rolled her eyes. She turned to her right only to see the concerned face of Rika. "Sakura, you, like, really need to stop this! It's, like, not cool to fight with that dreg everyday!"

"Rika, it's fine really. He's getting it good now from the teacher. So don't worry about it, alright?" Sakura turned around and made a disgusted face. This was one of the times where she really hated her best friend.

Tomoyo Daidouji had packed up, and moved away to Osaka. All the way to Osaka, and left Sakura alone with the friends that she didn't really consider friends. Tomoyo was truly the best friend that Sakura had ever had. The only one that she didn't feel like strangling every time they opened their mouths. But now, after the emotional day of moving, Tomoyo took a piece of Sakura's soul with her.

Now, she has to make nice with the group of people she really did not want to with. But in this school, being by yourself granted you the category of the Loner. And that was something that you did _not_ want.

So biting the inside of her cheek, her tongue, the bud of her pen, Sakura kept from screaming everyday, just not to blow up at the group of girls she wanted to pour acetate over.

The door clicked open and the teacher walked in looking extremely weary. Following her, was the object of affection for the most percentage of women in the school. Not including Sakura of course.

"I don't know what your complaining about Sakura. I would be totally freaked if Syaoran spoke to me every morning! He's absolutely delicious."

Sakura bit harder on the bud of her pen as she looked to the left of her. There, sitting on the chair with a devious look in her eye was Meiling. She wanted Syaoran for the good screw.

"It's not really something I look forward to Meiling. If you want to switch bodies, I'd gladly take up on that offer. He's not very nice though. . . "

"Oh, he's very nice. I just wanna tie him up and lick him like a lollipop."

Sakura's face was indescribable. Her face was twisted in was looked like horror, disgust, and terror all in one.

"I _never_ want to hear that come out of _anyone's_ mouth. . .let alone yours Meiling," Sakura said, turning back to stare at her desk, "You S&M freak." She whispered to herself.

She looked up to the front of the room, only to see that Syaoran had started making his way to the back of the class to his seat behind her. The teacher and her methods of seating arrangements had made her the most hated person in the room. Getting to sit so close to the hot and spicy Syaoran Li was apparently a privilege that Sakura just could not see.

She would gladly trade places with Shuri Shiozu. She sat in front of the class on the other side of the room. What Sakura wouldn't give to get that far away from the drugged out dreg.

Syaoran sat down and instantly moved forward to be parallel to Sakura's ear. "Don't worry," he whispered, his hot breath moving over Sakura's ear, sending shivers of disgust through her body. Or where they pleasurable ripples? "Meiling is far too foolish. I prefer the wicked rather than the foolish. The wicked never bore me."

With that, he sat back against his chair, put his feet up on the metal holders on the bottom of Sakura's chair, and shook it.

Sakura tried to ignore the queasy feeling in her gut and paid attention to the lecture the teacher was giving, copying the quote she wrote on the board.

'Love is the irresistible desire to be irresistibly desired.'

Sakura's mind broke down and the only thing she could concentrate on was the foot shaking on the bottom of her chair. And the man sitting behind her.

To Be Continued. . .

A.N. erm. . .::otaku-chan implodes and blows up::


	2. Chapter two

Ironic Irresistibility

Disclaimer: ::burns disclaimer to flames:: What more do you want to know? I don't own a bloody thing. . .now leave me to cry in piece in the corner ::runs to dark corner and cries over-exaggerated::

Summary: Never resist temptation, when the first look is all you need. The only way to get rid of a temptation is to yield to it. AU, S/S

A.N. ::bows head in shame:: The plot bunny has been eating my soul. . .thus this is what happened when I wanted to go squishy. ::falls::

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Yukito Tsukishiro.

He was absolutely beautiful. Gorgeous to the point of illegality. How was it possible for one man to have such high animal magnetism? Just listening to his voice made Sakura a raging, panting jungle beast!

He stood causally talking to his friends, his grey eyes covered by glasses made him even more desirable like whoa. His smile alone made her weak in the knees and she felt like she was melting into a pile of Sakura sludge on the floor. A very overdone simile she knew, but there was no other way to express the feelings she was having.

That man was a God, if anything else, in Sakura's world. Tomoyo would often joke about her insane attraction to the man, in the form of dream analyzing. But they concluded that it was normal for a teenage girl to have 'XXX' rated dreams about the object of her affection. In fact, Sakura would be worried if she _didn't_ have those dreams.

"Thinking about me again?"

"Only of the ways to kill you off slowly."

"Aww, don't be like that ouka!"

Li Syaoran had the most uncanny way of popping up in the most unfortunate of places, at the most unfortunate of times. For when Sakura turned back around, Yukito was nowhere in sight.

"You are the most insufferable man I have ever laid eyes on," Sakura turned on her heel and walked down the hallway.

She should be heading down to the gym, but Sakura decided that her hockey team could do well without her for one day. She just wasn't in the mood to smack an orange puck around the dirty floor, even if it was amazing stress relief. All she had to do was imagine Li's face on the puck, and she would score a goal. Easy.

If only getting rid of him from her mind was that simple.

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Sakura laid down on the beds in the back of the nurses office.

This was her favorite place to be. It was so clean and kept. And quite for that matter. Nobody disturbing the calm peace.

Sakura closed her eyes and took a deep breathe. She could finally get some peace and quite away from all of the crap she had going on at home.

She didn't have to think about anything. She didn't _want_ to think about anything. Especially Li. . .

But somebody apparently had to go and ruin the serene mood she was in didn't they?

She heard the door opened and she knew that someone had just walked in. She didn't bother looking up. She didn't really give a tiny rat's ass about who it was. All she wanted to do was relax and do anything she had to, to get out of gym class.

But. . .mysterious person 'X' obviously had different plans.

She felt pressure being applied, not too nicely mind you, on her stomach. Maybe if she pretended she was dead. . .

RED LIGHT! Her eyes snapped open as soon as she felt the offending arm travel not too discreetly to her breasts. She sat up and saw. . .Syaoran?

She should have known. . .horny bastard. . .she frowned.

"What do you want Li?"

"Well. . .you just looked so appetizing I thought I would just take a little lick."

"Lick this," she said, closing her eyes and sticking up her middle finger. There was no way she was going to get any rest now that Satan's Son had entered the room.

Syaoran smirked and raised an eyebrow as if to say 'Dare-me-not'.

"Gladly!" He moved forward swiftly and licked the length of her finger, the cool metal from his lip ring mad her convulse.

She wiped her hand across his face with what she thought was extreme speed, but no sooner had her hand made contact with the side of his face, had his tongue ran, again, swiftly against her palm. His lip ring, again, making her shiver.

Stupid, fucking lip ring.

She yanked her hand away from his mouth rubbed it against the foam of the bed. A childish thing to do, but that guy made her tremble. . .and she didn't like it. So, seems like rubbing his "cooties" on the bed was the only thing that made her feel like she's cleansed herself of him.

"Thank you for that. . .that," she said, making a face.

Syaoran had to chuckle. She really did amuse him. And now that he had tasted her, literally speaking, he couldn't control the thoughts that made him want to taste her more. . .thoroughly.

But that will just have to wait until another time. . .right now. . .he had business to do.

"Say, Kinomoto, mind doing me a favor?"

Sakura eyed him strangely. When Syaoran Li needs a "favor". . .it can't possibly be a descent "let-me-copy-your-homework" type of thing. She didn't even think that Li _did_ homework.

"What kind of. . .favor are we talking about here?"

"I need you to pee in this cup," he said, thrusting a small cup in her face.

Sakura didn't know whether to laugh so hard her sides would hurt, pinch herself to make sure she was going to have this conversation, stare at him and shove that cup somewhere where the sun doesn't shine, or take him seriously.

"What?" She moved the cup away from her face and choose to pretend not hearing the question all together. Was he yanking her chain, or did he just ask her to pee in a cup?

Syaoran sighed. "Listen. . .I fell asleep in class again and apparently it was all Mr. Hinata could handle. He called the nurse who is now making me take a drug exam. And if I want to finish this semester in this school, I have to pass."

"So. . .you want me to do this drug test for you because your not completely clean? Is that right?"

"Now now, ouka, I'm completely clean. . .it's just that some of the things that I have been taking are not," he smiled and thrust the cup back in her face. "So will you do it?"

"NO! Wow Li, I knew you were a completely stoned psycho when I met you, but now I know. . .you have a few screws loose in your head after all of the shit that you did. I think you lost more brain cells then the doctors told you."

She stood up off the bed and started towards the door. Anything to get away from the unnatural vibes she gets when ever she's in close proximity of that man.

"Ha. I knew that you wouldn't do it, my little ouka. Your just too straight edge to do any thing that might, GASP, ruin your perfect record."

She was so close to the exist. So close to escaping this prison, and the bastard had to open his mouth.

"I am _not_ "too straight edge". Just because I care about my grades and do well in school does not mean that I'm straight edge!"

"Okay. What ever you say ouka."

"STOP IT! Just. . .stop calling me that!"

"Why? Makes you jumpy? Or maybe you like it?" He smiled and held the cup to her.

'Fuck it all. . .' was Sakura's last fleeting thought when she stomped her way to Syaoran, grabbed the cup roughly from his hand, and trudged, non to elegantly, to the bathroom.

"What about that?" Syaoran smiled fondly before pulling a cardboard box out of his pocket. Taking out his lighter, he lit the cigarette and put in his mouth, inhaling it.

It didn't take very long for Sakura to emerge out of the bathroom, only to look at Syaoran with utter loathing. How dare he smoke as if he had no care in the world. He was leaning casually on the back of the bed, and she hated him.

Syaoran Li was officially the proverbial bane of her existence.

She glared at him—thinking of about ten different ways to kill him.

Jam that disgusting cigarette into his eye-socket?

Rip his head from his shoulders?

Bludgeon him, maybe?

All viable and very appealing options at this point in time.

Before she could actually get closer to him to perform any of these deeds, he turned around and smirked.

She wanted him dead. . .

"Well, well, well. It seems as if our little own Kinomoto has got some balls on her!" He smiled and threw the cigarette down on the floor, stepping on it to make the flame die out.

He crossed over to her in a matter of milliseconds and took the warm cup from her hands. Sakura couldn't seem to talk. Her throat clamped up and she was suddenly _very_ aware of the consequences.

What if he got caught cheating on the test? It _was _Syaoran after all. . .what if he ratted her out? It was possible. . .their friendship wasn't exactly the closest, and he sure would get a kick out of seeing Perfect Ms. Kinomoto in deep, deep shit.

Her eyes widened.

'Fuck. . .' was the only comprehendible thought running through Sakura's mind.

She watched Syaoran walk sluggishly toward the door, and open it. She expected him to walk through the door and into the district penitentiary, laughing all of the way there telling anyone that would listen that Sakura Kinomoto was the one that pee'd in the cup for him.

The last thing she expected was for him to turn around and thank her.

"And don't worry. I won't nark on you ouka." With a final wave of his hand, the door closed behind him.

"_Don't worry, I won't nark on you ouka."_

Somehow. . .that little declaration made Sakura extremely unsettled.

And unnervingly calm.

To Be Continued. . .

A.N. Just a note. . .'ouka' means Cherry Blossom. A fun and exciting fact for all of you! ::smiles:: wow. . .well. . .about this story. . .it's a lot of fun writing this, but I still don't know how I feel about it. . .::sigh:: If you guys really like it. . .yell at me to get offa my lazy ass and write!

I'm actually really swamped, and I'm going to be really busy these next few weeks. . .so I'm not sure if I can really update. But I will. . .this story makes me laugh even as I write it. I get so many idea's from my friends that, that's what makes this story hit home for me! Hehe.

Well. . .thank you for spending your precious time reading this story and I really appreciate it! ::throws brownies and other baked goods:: I await the flames!


	3. Chapter three

Ironic Irresistibility

Disclaimer:. :burns disclaimer to flames: What more do you want to know? I don't own a bloody thing. . .now leave me to cry in piece in the corner :runs to dark corner and cries over-exaggerated:

Summary: Never resist temptation, when the first look is all you need. The only way to get rid of a temptation is to yield to it. AU, S/S

A.N. :bows head in shame: The plot bunny has been eating my soul. . .thus this is what happened when I wanted to go squishy. :falls:

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Sakura Kinomoto has imagined Syaoran Li in many places. . .on the corner smoking a cigarette, in juvenile hall, even in a correctional facility. . .but the last place she ever expected him to be was in her mind, her daydreams to be exact.

But there he was. . .again, and again, and again. One after another, like flashing movies going through her mind.

She just couldn't stop thinking about that "Cup Incident". She couldn't stop thinking that one day, she would hear police sirens ring throughout the school, and she would look out the window only to see Syaoran being handcuffed and shoved into the car yelling, "I told you I wouldn't nark on you ouka!"

And throughout the rest of the day everyone would wonder who this 'ouka' was and who had the audacity to pee in a cup for that depraved psycho. One by one a hoard of students would be gathered in the principle's office for questioning until it was finally Sakura's turn. The one who really did this assumed dastardly deed, and all she had to do was lie. One tiny little lie. All she had to do was say she didn't do it. . .and they would be eating it out of her hand.

Because she had to be cursed and blessed with the last name Kinomoto, and because of that, she could do no wrong. Her brother was considered somewhat of a God in the school, and because of Sakura's, now ruined, flaw-less record, she wouldn't be asked twice of something so beyond her perfection.

Throughout the day Sakura would squirm and agree with all of the rush of noise. She, too, couldn't think of a single soul of who would do it. Even though her mind would be screaming and shouting, "IT WAS ME YOU CLOSED-MINDED IDIOTS! ME!"

But that day never came. Because Syaoran never showed up for school that day. Or the next, or the next. And Sakura found it positively horrid to believe that she was actually worried about that dimwitted fool.

Was he trying to keep a low profile? Did the police somehow find out that he cheated on the exam and now he's being put through some garbage-picking patrol?

If that was the case then Sakura would purposefully do her morning jogs on the freeway just to see Li in a brightly colored jump-suit. That would make her day.

Her universe to be exact.

But she still couldn't shake the feeling that this was just some prank. That while she was walking home from school he would pop out from behind the bushes and yell, "Gotcha! Di'ja miss me honey?" with that stupid grin on his face.

But that, of course, did not happen. It was a week later, and Li still hasn't come back, and Sakura was either starting to feel worried about him, or bored without him.

"I just _knew_ that this day would come."

As always, Rika was the one to supply the usual rants and gossip during lunch. Who needed a gossip magazine when Rika was there for everything, and was always the first one to hear about it.

Sakura wanted to shove her fork into her ear.

"It was only a matter of time before it happened too."

Naoko was the one to put in her insight this time. Out of the entire group, Naoko was definitely the least annoying of them all. With Naoko, she could actually see a friendship forming, if Sakura wasn't so lazy in actually wanting a friendship with any one of this crowd.

Sakura fingered the tip of her fork, the only one she hasn't heard from yet is –

"I'm just upset that I didn't get him to stick it in me."

"Meiling, you want _everyone _to stick it in you."

As the little group giggled at their absolutely non hilarious joke, Sakura was considering instant suicide. Or better yet, why would she take her life? She wasn't the one who made every other living human's life hell. . .

Syaoran Li did, but because he isn't here at this convenient moment in time, she would have to choose the latter and destroy these harpies for the good of mankind.

"Sakura, you've been, like, way too quiet. I would've totally thought that you out of everyone would have something, like, really biting to say about the whole, Li-missing-school, thing," Rika said, taking a bit out of her, most likely, fat-free salad.

"The bastard deserved it. He's been fucking with me for way to long, and now I don't have to hear, see or think about him," Sakura said breezily, as if it were the most common answer in the world. She went to take a bite out her sandwich when she heard it.

"It was probably because of that whole drug test thing."

Sakura's eyes snapped open and she stopped chewing.

"Yeah! You know, I heard that he totally screwed with this girl and made her take it for him."

Sakura's sandwich dropped to the table, bits of lettuce, tomato and bread falling haphazardly on the floor.

"I also heard that they found out the girl who did it."

Sakura started to choke on the small piece of her sandwich she managed to take a bite out of. She could feel everyone's eyes on her. Everyone pointing and whispering disgusted things of her.

"Omigod! Sakura, are you okay? Here, drink something!" Naoko exclaimed, handing Sakura a juice box, which she accepted with fervor.

She looked around and noticed that no one was looking at her. Or pointing for that matter. No one happened to even be in the nation of talking about Syaoran Li. _Or _the drug test incident.

'_Well this is absolutely fabulous,' _Sakura thought to herself, taking a napkin and wiping strayed bits of veggie from her mouth, as the three other girls continued their conversation of unreal diets and fake workouts, completely unfazed by Sakura's odd behavior. They just didn't care.

'_Li's not even _in _the school anymore, and he's making my life a complete and utter nightmare!'_

The only thing that would make her, so-far, horrendous day any worse, would be a call from the principle.

* * *

'_Of course it would happen. Why _wouldn't _it happen? I mean ,all I say is that it probably couldn't, and then it does. I help Li with one bloody thing and I go absolutely crazy. Sure he pays the penalty, but _I'm _the one that looses my mind because I hear conversations that DON'T EXSIST! Now, the man in charge has to talk to me. Gee, can karma bite me in the ass any harder?'_

Sakura was so busy ranting in her mind that she didn't hear the secretary call her name.

"Miss Kinomoto? Miss Kinomoto!"

Because Sakura was so engrossed with her thoughts, instead of answering calmly to the poor old women, she snapped and snarled a nasty, "What!"

Well so far so good. . .

She apologized hastily, and walked through the seeming portal to another world.

The room was quite big. Sakura has been here many times before, but this was the first where she ever expected to be treated as a felon.

She sat down on the small chair and all of a sudden she felt just as small as that chair. Like no matter what she would say, it wouldn't make a difference. She was on the other side of what she believed in now, and she didn't know how she felt about that.

"Miss Kinomoto, if I may, I have a few questions to ask of you."

His face was stoic and showed no real sign of any emotion. His eyes were hard and Sakura felt that if she started to breathe he might eat her.

"A week ago you were recorded to be in the Nurse's room during your seventh period class. Am I correct?"

Her mouth was dry. What was she going to do if she couldn't make out any sounds? She was too nervous about this. She had nothing to worry about. All she had to do was tell him the truth. Except when she has to lie about the whole peeing-in-the-cup thing.

"Yes sir," she squeaked out, much to her embarrassment.

"Did you happen to see, or hear Syaoran Li ask anyone to fake a drug test for him?"

She couldn't believe it. He wasn't even questioning her! He just wanted to know if she saw who did it.

Talk about a cosmic twist.

With her heart retaining at a normal speed and her nerves calming down, her voice returned.

"No sir. I fell asleep and I didn't hear anything. I was completely knocked out. But if I hear anything I'll be sure to tell you, sir," lie, lie, bullshit, and more bullshit.

Mr. Tsukuba nodded, and with a wave of his hand, let Sakura leave his office.

Sakura mentally cheered. She was free, it was that easy, and she was free!

She was about the reach the door and open it to enter salvation, when it slammed open and the secretary barged in, a little girl glued to her side.

"Mr. Tsukuba, this girl has admitted for taking the drug test for Mister Li."

Sakura froze in her place. What the hell was going on? Was the freshman mentally unbalanced? She looked at the little girl. One would think that the girl was scared of what would happen, but upon closer inspection, Sakura noticed no fear in her eyes, but amusement.

"Well, well. What is your name?" Mr. Tsukuba's voice turned icy and harsh as he stared at the girl.

"My name is Miki Aihara, sir," she said bravely, taking a step forward, and Sakura couldn't help but have think two things. Either this was a very brave young girl, or a very masochistic one.

Taking one last look at the girl, Sakura made a quick get-a-way out of the room.

"What the fuck is going on?" she asked herself of the whole ordeal.

The rest of the day went by in a blaze. Sakura didn't talk or pay attention to pretty much anything going on around her. Not that anyone really noticed, or cared.

* * *

Sakura was still in that haze of disbelief, and didn't notice the air of hostility when she walked into homeroom the next day. Didn't notice how quiet the normally loud and obnoxious room was. Didn't notice the added member sitting in the back of the room with a tie and jacket. 

Didn't notice, that is, until she sat down and looked around.

Something was wrong, her chair was vibrating. And that hasn't happened in over a week. Why. . .that would mean that –

"Did you know that the average human spends three months of his or her life time waiting for a red light to change green?" His voice rang throughout her ear in a low droll, his breath spilled over her neck and God, why did she miss that feeling so much?

She turned in her chair and acknowledged his presence for the first in over a week and took in everything she could. Took in his half-opened eyes, his crooked smile plastered on his face, instead of a smirk. Took in his appearance of a decent, common, every-day, do-gooder.

And for the first time since Tomoyo moved away, Sakura smiled. A true, happy, non forced smile.

And the fact that Syaoran Li was the one that did it to her, shocked and scared her to the core.

But then, why did she like that feeling so much?

To Be Continued. . .

A.N. :blushes: Oh dear. . .why did it take me this long to write such a horrendous chapter? I guess I needed the boosts and reviews from everyone. Thank You! I know that this wasn't as funny and amusing as the past two chapters, but don't worry, Syaoran has been lost and now he's found, so there's bound to be some. . .interesting :cough cough: transactions? Ha.

I'm so shocked that I even got this many for such a story. I hope everyone still keeps with it. I'm back in my usual spin of things, so, as always Please Review and you will get a bright and shiny surprise! Thank You:runs off into the sunset, then crashes into the painting of a sunset: Pooh. . .


	4. Chapter four

Ironic Irresistibility

Disclaimer:burns disclaimer to flames: What more do you want to know? I don't own a bloody thing. . .now leave me to cry in piece in the corner :runs to dark corner and cries over-exaggerated:

Summary: Never resist temptation, when the first look is all you need. The only way to get rid of a temptation is to yield to it. AU, S/S

A.N. :bows head in shame: The plot bunny has been eating my soul. . .thus this is what happened when I wanted to go squishy. :falls:

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"Hey little girl would you like a ride?"

"No."

"A lollipop?"

"Try again."

"A puppy? Or how about a baseball bat? There's one in my pants."

Sakura Kinomoto was, in a word, intrigued. She smiled sweetly at the man behind the wheel.

"You can take that bat and shove it up your ass, Li."

"Ouch, I can take a hint." Syaoran Li smiled and popped the lock of the passenger seat, swiftly opening the door, a sign that he wanted Sakura to get in the car.

Sakura didn't know how, when, or why this happened, but suddenly, she found herself sitting on a cheap wanna-be leathered seat in Li's car. . .giving him directions to get back to her house.

She must have been slipped a drug during dinner. A serious brain altering device that makes her do irrational things. . .such as getting into a car with Syaoran. And he was the one driving no less!

Yes. . .she must have been high. . .there was no other way to explain this peculiar scene. It didn't make sense at all.

Then again, she _was _the one that was jogging at one in the morning. And that in itself doesn't make sense.

Sakura pulled the seatbelt over her shoulder, a signal that she was ready.

"So the puppy did you in right? Or was it truly the baseball bat?" Syaoran smirked his coy little smile and looked quickly at Sakura to note her reaction.

"My mom, she said to never talk to strangers," Sakura looked at Syaoran through the corner of her eye curiously, wondering what smart ass remark would come out of his mouth.

"So a kiss is out of the question then?" He raised an eyebrow at her.

"I'll take that chance." She had to bite in the smile forcing itself out.

Syaoran, however, had no problem letting his out. A decent smile, she had to admit, a full out grin that made her stomach hurt a bit. She placed her hand on it, hoping that whatever sparked the sudden ache would dull away soon.

Then it hit her, and her head whipped to Syaoran. "What the hell are you doing following me around the park at one in the morning?"

A sheepish expression momentarily crossed his face before settling back into its customary smirk. "What the hell were you doing running around the park at one in the morning?"

Sakura was annoyed. Why was he twisting this around? Why did he _always _twist everything around? "That is none of your business, Li."

His eyes settled on her for a moment before turning back to the road.

Sakura's, on the other hand, traveled to her lap, where she fiddled with her fingers.

It was possible that not even Sakura knew what she was doing running. It was a force of habit. Ever since her mother died, her father took on a dual role, and she knew that it was hard on him. . .but sometimes she just needed release. She needed to get out.

And running seemed to do it for her. It helped her escape the current hell she was in. Just for those few moments, she was alone, with the wind nipping at her face, and just the sound of her feet hitting the concrete and her ragged breathe made her feel better.

She picked at her nail remembering the sight that welcomed her when she walked into her house.

Yukito. Real and alive and completely gorgeous in person was there in her kitchen. She stopped dead in her tracks, her whole body engulfed in flames and chills at the same time.

He didn't take notice of her though. For as soon as he closed the refrigerator door, the silhouette of her older brother towered over him, and he smiled something she had never seen before.

She felt her heart drop somewhere in the pit of her stomach.

Touya. . .Touya and Yukito were talking. . ._laughing_. Like they were some sort of. . ._friends! _

Touya though, of course, took full notice and didn't waste a millisecond to tease her.

Annoying tick number one.

After excusing themselves, absolutely politely on Yukito's side, undeniably revolting on Touya's, they claimed that they needed to study, and sauntered up to Touya's room.

Sakura didn't think twice about it. . .but sitting in Syaoran's car made her think of something she hadn't before.

_Why didn't I see Yukito around before? Or with Touya during school? And why doesn't he call him Kinomoto-san? Or Touya-kun?. . .Come to think of it. . .he calls him Toya. . I-I've never even heard Dad call him that. . ._

She was jolted out of her thoughts when something warm engulfed her hand, and she was no longer clawing them together.

Syaoran.

"I figured your hands needed something to do. . .so I took one," his head turned to her and he grinned, "and don't try to get it back, I like the way it fits with me."

And when Syaoran squeezed her hand, Sakura felt another pang in her abdomen.

'_I should really go and get that checked out. . .' _Sakura thought.

And so as the ride continued, long and quite, Syaoran's hold on Sakura's hand remained firm and warm.

Until finally, "Why were you out running?"

"Why did you follow me?"

Syaoran smiled, "Too-shay. Alright, you win," as Syaoran made a right turn with his free hand he snuck a look at Sakura with the corner of his eye, only to see her watching him intently.

Syaoran tasted satisfaction.

"I've got insomnia. No sleep for dear ol' Syaoran here. So whilst I'm up during the wee hours of the morning, I drive. Now there's nowhere to really go during these wee hours, so I hang around the park. But I've never seen you there before." He looked completely at her this time only to see her flush and turn away.

"It's none of your business."

"Okay, that's fine. . ." Two seconds of silence passed, "So those friends of yours, woah! Are they annoying or what?"

Sakura cracked a smile and Syaoran beamed at the accomplishment.

"They're not my friends. . .just. . .some people who I'm forced to hang out with during my time of need."

"Ah yes. . .that makes much more sense now. . ."

"Shut up. . ."

"If they really aren't your friends, then why do you take shit from them? It's time to say your word. Say it like you meant it, say what you think about."

"It's not that simple, Li. There are rules, codes that need to be followed—"

"Ah yes, the rules and codes that are so important to living human life that they don't bother writing it in stone. You know. . .in fact, they didn't even write it down!"

Syaoran's hold loosened and he let go of Sakura's hand, only to run it through his already disheveled hair, leaving Sakura craving for the feeling of his fingers entwined with hers.

"Your entire friendship is a sham! An Act!"

Sakura quickly forgot about her craving and frowned. He was one to talk!

"I think you're the best act this school has ever seen."

"So let's take a bow and I'll—"

"You know what I mean." She bit out.

And when Sakura bit down a sentence, it means the conversation is over. Done and hopefully never returned to again.

The only words exchanged from then on were the directions Sakura had to give to Syaoran to her house.

When the destination was finally reached on their right, Syaoran turned the car off and turned to look at her, her face illuminated by the street lights.

"You're mad."

"No shit Sherlock, but that never bothered you before, so why should it now?"

"Dear Sakura-chan, so young and adolescent. You ran the whole winding why to the park, and without my help you would have had to jog all of the way back."

She faced him, a shimmering glint in her eye, "But if I _am _as you say, _young _and _adolescent _who knows _what _could have happened to me? For all I know you like them young and adolescent," she said scathingly.

"Come on, you've really got to trust people more, I don't just stop any person I see walking, or in your case running, on the street this late at night," he tried to reach for her hand again but she jerked hers away quickly.

"Please, I bet the only reason you even stopped during your midnight driving jaunt was, 'Hey look here, she's cute, and it's hard to drive with a hard on—"

"Think that you could lend a hand here then?"

"If I had the time. Now if you'll excuse me. . . There's a certain chocolate cake in a certain refrigerator that's just calling my name."

Sakura unbuckled her seatbelt. But leaving was apparently not an option.

"Hey. . .What are you doing? Let me go do ya hear?"

Just as Sakura was about to make her grand exit out of the car, Syaoran grabbed hold of her wrist. "Why were you running?"

"I got bored. There is that what you wanted to hear? Cuz that's all that I've got for you buddy. . .don't think that just because you can pick me up from the park in the middle of the night I'll open up to you and fuck you right now in this car. And just because I can't stop thinking about you—" she stopped abruptly, a look of pure horror on her face.

Syaoran looked vastly amused. "By all means, continue. Just because you can't stop thinking about me. . .?"

"Yes. . .no. . .I don't know. . .it's just. . ." It was like she was sliding down a hill on loose gravel and she couldn't stop what was coming out of her mouth.

"I run when I want to forget about things. . .or when I want to sort things out. Now-a-days, every time I run I think about you. Mostly about how much you drive me crazy." Sakura turned pink. What was going on? Why couldn't she just shut up?

Syaoran looked serious. "Kinomoto. . .I think I'm going to kiss you now. And I also think that there's a chance you won't stop me." Slowly, deliberately, he cupped her face in his hands, bringing his head down to hers.

Sakura froze. She knew she should push him away and walk out to her house in the opposite direction, but then his sweet, clean scent enveloped her again, and she felt an oddly comforting feeling wash over her. Almost unconsciously, she felt her arms slip around him.

As his lips came closer and closer to hers, she whispered "I am definitely going to regret this in the morning. . ."

As his lips brushed hers, he whispered "Then I'm glad it's still tonight. . ."

And as his lips captured hers in a soft, intense kiss, Sakura found, to her surprise, that she was glad, too.

And only then did she realize that the ache was not in her stomach, but in her heart.

To Be Continued. . .

A.N. :lowers head in shame: I AM SOO TRULY SORRY THAT IT TOOK ME LITERALLY AGES TO GET THIS CHAPTER OUT!

I hope the kiss was enough for you all to forgive me!

The reason it took so uber long is because a lot of shit is going on with my family right now. . .my parents are in the stages of their divorce and I'm moving. . .that means lot's of time packing, working and counseling. :sigh: I hope you all forgive me. The next chapters will hopefully be going along more smoother!

And the kissing will get rougher. . . :laughs and runs off: THANK YOU ALL :blows kisses:


	5. Chapter five

Ironic Irresistibility

Disclaimer:burns disclaimer to flames: What more do you want to know? I don't own a bloody thing. . .now leave me to cry in piece in the corner :runs to dark corner and cries over-exaggerated:

Summary: Never resist temptation, when the first look is all you need. The only way to get rid of a temptation is to yield to it. AU, S/S

A.N. :bows head in shame: The plot bunny has been eating my soul. . .thus this is what happened when I wanted to go squishy. :falls:

Before I continue, I would like to say that I was wrong. It was not right of me to start this story without first saying that I got this idea from Megan McCafferty's novel 'Sloppy Firsts' and 'Second Helpings'. I humbly apologize and I promise that it won't be exactly like the novel.

Those books are like the Torah to me. :squeezes them tightly: And now . . . I continue.

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Li knew he was screwed.

"Why did you kiss me?"

Syaoran's gaze slid to her mouth. "Curious."

"Curious to see if I'd let you?"

"No," he said, as if rejection never crossed his mind. "Curious to see if you taste as sweet as you look."

"What did you decide?"

He crooked his finger at her and said in a low, sensual voice, "Definitely sweet, but with a warm little kick."

She hid her smile. "Is that bad?"

"Depends." He placed two fingers beneath her chin and stared into her eyes. "Has anyone ever kissed you until you were so hot you were burning up? Until you didn't care about anything else?"

She didn't answer, not wanting to admit that she'd never been so consumed or burned up with passion that she'd lost her head. Even her best friend assumed she was a prude. But apparently not Syaoran. Syaoran saw what no one else did, and she let herself fall headfirst into the dizzy heat burning her flesh.

And then he touched something north of the border. . .

Sakura wanted to kick herself in the face. Did she actually believe that this meant anything in Syaoran's mind except for sex, or a good feel?

"Do me a favor, Li, and swallow a knife."

Syaoran had no time to react, for as soon as the words left her mouth, his head was spinning and a violent sting was etching into his cheek from the slap.

Sakura then had no problem clawing her way from his grip. Ripping off her seatbelt and tearing open the door she watched him look at her dumbfounded. A ping of pain throbbed through her chest, but she paid no heed to it.

Looking at him one last time before she bolted to her house she whispered, "I _hate _you."

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By now the room was moving. Sakura's vision no longer exists, and her current state of mind was on log off mode. And so it has been for the past hour in which she had not moved from her position on the floor.

Syaoran had left a while back. She knew that he waited for her in the same spot for a long while because all she heard until just about a few minutes ago was the sound of his car horn.

She had hoped that he took her advice and killed himself right there on that spot . . . but she knew that he probably just felt humiliated and stayed there alone in his car with his head smashed up against the horn.

She didn't know exactly what she was supposed to think. Well . . . no . . . that wasn't completely true. She knew what to think. She thought he was a self-absorbed dick-head who thought with the large poking stick in his pants instead of his over sized head.

God, had _she _been stupid. To think she actually thought for that brief moment in time that he actually thought something more of her then someone to stick it in. Like, maybe, a human, fucking, being?

_No, _she shook her head at the thought. _All he had was aggression and the one man show didn't do it for him tonight . . . he didn't have fun at his one handed party this time, so he strung me along for the ride . . . and I fell for it. Hook, line, and fucking sinker. _

She laughed cruelly into the darkness. "He got me really good this time . . ." she said, rolling over on her other side.

The carpet of her room was cold, and yet it was more inviting then she could have ever imagined. She pulled her knees to her chest and breathed out a sob of desperation.

He got her good this time alright. And when he finally drove away, tires screeching on the concreted pavement, he ran over the bits and pieces of her heart that she left behind with him in the car.

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Syaoran was lost.

He parked his car in the woods . . . and now, he was lost.

That's when he knew . . . it came back to him again that night.

That same dream that he's been having since he could remember.

They were the same exact woods . . . with the same tick infested trees, and air-freshener pine smell. It was all _exactly _the same as it was before . . .

And he was still there looking for his god damned car!

And he was alone . . . that was the same too. He was always left alone. No girl clung to him naked, sweet, full breasts pushing up against him, like his usual _nice _dreams were . . .

No, this time, it was just him . . . and the sounds of mosquitoes having a feast on his flesh . . .

That's the part he hated most really . . . Syaoran didn't mind that he was alone. He was used to it by now . . .but it was those damned blood sucking leeches that pissed him off the most . . .

And not for the reason that you might originally think either. It wasn't because they were sucking the very life from him . . .

But it was because they wouldn't shut up! They'd swarm onto him and –

"Can't forget. Can't forget. Memories that you regret!"

That buzz . . . that annoying as hell buzz that won't quite. He hated that the most . . .he hated being reminded that he was . . . lost.

Again . . . in the woods . . .

"Why the fuck is it always a God damned forest? Why couldn't I loose my car in a mall parking lot like normal fucking assholes?"

Syaoran walked for what seemed like hours. He didn't know what time it was anymore . . .the sky had been in the same blue-purple hue for the past who knows how long and his feet hurt already.

They always did . . .maybe it was telling him that he needed to go on a diet . . .or start cardio . . .

"Lost again, dude?"

Syaoran squeezed his eyes shut. How could he forgot that _he _always managed to be here too. "The one place I think I can finally get away and yet you seem to even follow me here man . . ."

"Pause for a moment and think about what your doing here . . .how much more must she endure? Things will start to unglue faster then you could have ever imagined."

Syaoran turned around only to find that Eriol was already walking away from him.

That was . . . different.

Usually Eriol gave him the speech of "Lost and Found". Where it stated basically to remember you put your fucking car . . .

"Hey! Aren't you going to help me find my ride?" Syaoran called after him.

Eriol turned slowly, his glasses basking in the moment of the skylight. He gave Syaoran a half smile and disappeared into the night air.

Syaoran hated when he did that too . . . he silently seethed over the fact that no matter what state of mind Syaoran was in . . .Eriol still managed to be as cryptic as ever . . .

Syaoran sighed. _Nothing to do now but . . .continue walking . . . I hate walking . . .I like my car . . .I like my car and . . .Sakura!_

"Well that's a new one . . ." Syaoran stopped walking and stared her standing in the distance.

She was far away . . . but it was most definitely her.

And then he did something else that was different from the norm of his dream.

He ran.

To _her_.

_Fast._ Like she was the only one who . . . um . . . knew where the hell his car was!

Syaoran slowed down to a brisk walk and pretended that the voice in his head never finished or started that sentence.

Once he was within grabbing and groping distance, he stopped.

She looked as if it was the most common thing to meet someone in the middle of the woods at mid-night. She looked mystical . . . untouchable.

And then she raised an eyebrow at him. "Well?"

Syaoran stared at her, confused. "Well what?" What the hell was she talking about?

"Aren't you going to ask me where your car is?"

"How did you know I . . . currently misplaced my car?"

"I didn't . . . but I do now," she smiled that 'ha-ha I got you this time!' smile that cute little children give. Syaoran almost smiled back . . . almost. He thought better.

"So you wouldn't know where my love-mobile drove off too?" he wiggled his eyebrows in what was supposed to be a suggestive manner.

And then his chest tightened. She looked at him with such hurt in her eyes that it made him want to fall to his knees and never let go of her legs.

Instead, he just stared at her. Then she turned away from him, and started to walk away.

He had to make her stay with him.

"Wait up a sec.! Don't you uh . . .feel like helping me find my car?" That was lame. Lame, lame . . . and incredibly stupid.

She started to run then, and before he could even blink, she melded into the faded background of his mind.

His shoulders fell and he made a small noise of utter disappointment.

He felt a stinging pain against his side and he shot up in bed in a cold sweat.

Syaoran hated going to sleep for the fear of his dreaming would always be there . . .

But tonight's dream was much more different then the original.

He wiped the sweat that drenched his face and neck and sat up in bed. The dream was still fresh in his mind, and he decided that now would be the best time to try to analyze what the hell that was all about.

He remembered feeling lost and terribly out of place, as if he was naked and had absolutely nothing to show off down south.

He figured it was just because he _was _alone. Or maybe it was the fact that Sakura had left him . . .

He shook his head. Nah . . . it's 'cuz he didn't have his baby car. That had to be it.

He lifted his blankets and looked down. Definitely had something to show off down south . . . now he could go sleep easy.

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Sakura walked unnervingly calm to her homeroom in the morning.

The memories of last night will most likely flood her mind until she dies . . . or gets some sleep.

Whichever one comes first.

Everything was good so far. She hadn't seen Syaoran and she was hoping to keep away from him the rest of the day, until she spotted him.

With another blonde bimbo.

How completely . . . unsurprising this was . . .

She walked past him with her head held high and her eyes cast forward. Not that he'd notice or anything, he was too busy trying to become one person with his new flavor of the week.

She walked briskly by them, telling herself that she mustn't look at him or she might just break down in sobs, but she couldn't tear her eyes away . . .

In fact, she wasn't the only one.

For staring right back at her were amber eyes.

He winked and she felt her insides churn.

It was going to be a long day.

To Be Continued . . .

A.N. Shibby! I finally got this out of my system. :sighs: I hope that you guys are still with me! If you aren't . . . I understand. It took me a looong time to get this out. I hope it was worth anything! Hehe. Happy Late New Year lovelies!


	6. Chapter six

Ironic Irresistibility

Disclaimer ::burns disclaimer to flames:: What more do you want to know? I don't own a bloody thing. . .now leave me to cry in piece in the corner ::runs to dark corner and cries over-exaggerated::

Summary: Never resist temptation, when the first look is all you need. The only way to get rid of a temptation is to yield to it. AU, S/S

A.N. :bows head in shame: The plot bunny has been eating my soul. . .thus this is what happened when I wanted to go squishy. :falls:

So. . .lets see. . .it's been a, uh, a couple of years now and. . .holy hell is it empty up in this joint! ::crickets:: Okay, well what else was I expecting? A fucking parade? . . .Maybe a little parade. . .You know what? I'll throw my own parade, FOR YOU! ::insta-party, just add noodles::

So here is to you, the people and reviewers who are still with me, and still telling me to get off my fat ass and continue. Just a quick note: Ikimono Gokuraku translates to Animal Paradise. . . A pet store.

Let's see if I remember how to do this. . .I hope that I will not let you down.

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Sakura was hallucinating.

She kept expecting Syaoran to just suddenly pop out and surprise her, but she hadn't seen him in about a week.

Correction, she made _sure_ she didn't see him for a week. Instead, she kept herself busy with after-school activities, even though she wasn't really good at anything other than running, her newly acquired job over at Ikimono Gokuraku, which still brings back memories of Tomoyo hysterically laughing at her about, and doing more than her share of the house hold chores, not that Touya would ever open his mouth to complain.

And yet this morning at work, she could've sworn she saw him walk in.

Why she was hallucinating over Syaoran, she didn't know. She just couldn't get him out of her head.

It's even worse after he kissed her, and then stared at her with those unnerving amber eyes of his while he played doctor with a blonde.

She looked up when she heard someone clearing their throat. Half expecting it to be a disgruntled customer waiting for her to check them out, she was stunned. . .well. . .more like paralyzed to see that it was, indeed, Syaoran Li.

Syaoran Li. . .in Ikimono Gokuraku. . .grinning.

Now she was positive she was hallucinating.

'_How the hell did he find out that I work here? I swear I will have Meiling's weaved head on a silver platter if I find out it was her. . .'_

"Excuse me, Miss, can you help me with this please?" A little boy reaching up for some cat litter brought Sakura's thoughts back to her job.

She peeled her eyes away from Syaoran and walked from behind the counter, past the boy that had been plaguing her mind and taunting her senses, and to the little boy who was up on his toes.

"Which one did you want, sweetie?" Sakura smiled, looking at the boy.

"Um," his eyes darted to the counter, and then back to Sakura, "the purple one all the way up there," he mumbled cutely, pointing to the northern most bag.

Sakura's eye twitched. Of course it was. "Sure, no problem. Just wait here and I'll be right back."

Sakura's mind was racing. This was no coincidence. She didn't believe in that. She hadn't seen Syaoran in a week, and then suddenly he appears before her at work? Sakura wasn't very good at math, but even she began to think that something didn't entirely add up.

Getting a ladder from the back room, Sakura made her way to the front. Placing it close to the shelves, she climbed to the top of the ladder only to realize that she was still too short to reach the purple bag for the boy.

Sighing, she held onto the shelf, and stood on her toes, hoping that the little bit of lift would be enough for her to reach the bag, however a movement below her caused her to switch her attention, loose her balance, and fall.

Of course it also didn't help that the little brat kicked the ladder right from under Sakura.

She didn't bother closing her eyes.

"Well. . .I call finders' keepers' on this," Syaoran swooshed in, clearly wanting to play savior as he deftly caught Sakura before she had time to hit the ground. "I think I'll call you. . .ouka."

Sakura glared, failing to squirm away.

Syaoran smirked, tightening his hold.

"Although I'll probably have to give her a bath don't you think so. . .Rui?" Syaoran asked the little boy, casting a sly glance at Sakura, still in his arms.

Sakura could feel the blood rush to her face. Mouth agape and body suddenly numb, she stared at Syaoran and Rui.

"Well, she does look unhappy, Uncle Syao. No one who showers is unhappy."

Sakura fell to the floor with a thud and instantly felt a migraine creep in. Syaoran, who was shaking with laughter, dropped her after Rui made his innocent. . .or not so innocent comment.

Picking herself from the floor, Sakura gave a tight smile, "Cute, kid, maybe your Uncle here could help you get that dog food," she turned to Syaoran who was still chuckling, "Since he's the biggest tramp in the pound I'm sure he could suggest a fantastic flavor."

Syaoran quirked an eyebrow at her retreating figure. There was no denying that he missed the little spit-fire, that was for sure, and if that meant paying off his little cousin to do some dirty work for him so he could get his hands on her again, so be it.

"Thanks Rui," Syaoran said, crouching down to eye level with the boy, "and remember, don't tell your mother about this," he whispered, handing over a crumpled twenty.

Beaming, the child nodded his head, "Don't worry Uncle Syao!" he said, stuffing the bill into his pocket.

"Good, now get out of here and don't get run over by any trucks, you hear me? Your mother will have my head!" he yelled, but Rui was already out of the door and across the street. Syaoran smiled turning around, only to be met with amused emerald eyes.

"Hello," Syaoran said, as he positioned himself in front of Sakura's register. "How are you?"

"Apparently I'd be a lot better if I had a bath," She sarcastically grumbled.

"Do you maybe have a minute?" he asked.

"No."

"Ouka, you can't just avoid me for the rest of your life."

"Yes I can." She looked up at him sharply, hearing the pet name drip from his lips, "Seems like a pretty good plan to me."

"You have Yoshiyuki Terada for European History, right?" he asks.

Sakura nodded her head in affirmation. Where the hell did that come from?

"Right, so we're studying the Philosophers right now," he continues.

"I'm aware of that."

"Yeah. And the thing is, this guy Locke believes in what's called a. . ."

"Tabula Rasa," Sakura interjected. "I know all about John Locke, Li! What does that have to do with anything?"

"A blank slate," he simply said. "It's a pretty good idea. Maybe you could take a page out of Locke's book. . .so to speak. . .and grant me one of those Tabula Rasa's?"

Sakura slanted her eyes. Why the hell was he trying so hard?

He had basically told her, in not so many words, but he certainly implied it by trying to feel her up and then making out with someone else that she wasn't important to him. And the fact that she even thought that for a moment she could be was just laughable. She was giving him an easy way out, by not being around, and here he was trying to get a second chance?

"First of all, John Locke lived over a hundred years ago. His ideas are hardly relevant now. . .and especially to _my _life," Sakura began, an angry tangent already forming in her head. "Secondly, he said that human beings are _born_ with a Tabula Rasa. . . meaning a blank slate. That means that they are born innocent and without faults. . .until society corrupts them. You don't just _hand_ out Tabula Rasa's, Li. It isn't a 'get out of jail free' card."

"Okay. . .well. . ." Sakura gave a small smile just imagining the gears in Syaoran's head try to counter that.

"Right. So. . .that's it. Conversation over."

A customer comes up behind Syaoran with two ten-pound bags of cat food, and sighs impatiently.

"Now wait a minute, I have a whole bunch of arguments stored up here." He gestured to his head. "Just hear me out?"

"Would you just give it a rest?" Sakura snarled at him. She didn't feel like being made a fool of at her work.

"Not until you listen."

"Then buy something or get out," Sakura said through clenched teeth.

"Kinomoto. . ."

"Li! Buy something or get out!"

Syaoran gave a frustrated sigh and ran his hands through his hair. Then he raised that damned eyebrow of his, and smirked at her, shoved his hands into his jeans pockets, and took off down one of the aisles.

Sakura didn't even want to know what that look was for, or what the pang in her chest meant. Shaking her head to get rid of all thoughts of Syaoran, she turned to the man waiting in line.

"I see you around sometimes," he tells her, helping her scan the cat food.

"Really?" Sakura paused scanning and looked up at him curiously, "Like where?"

"Oh, just around town," he shrugged, getting flustered.

"I'm Sakura," she grinned, holding her hand out, "and you are?"

"Jiro." He extended his hand.

"Nice to meet you," She smiled at him. "So. . .how many cats do you have?" She pointed at the huge bags of cat food.

"It's for my Grandma," He pulled out his wallet. "she's got six."

"Wow, that's a. . .lot of cats," she winced.

They spent a few more moments making small talk since customers seemed scarce, and regardless of where the conversation turned to, Sakura's mind never failed to turn to Syaoran. Jiro was different from Syaoran. Nicer. He didn't seem as confident and secure as Syaoran was. And when he asked for her number, Syaoran emerged from one of the aisles.

Sakura made up her mind then to give Jiro her number. Out of genuine attraction, no; out of spite, absolutely.

Once Jiro left, Syaoran is the only one left in the store again, and again, he glued himself in front of her register, only this time, he placed a tiny, golden puppy on the scanner.

"You're getting a dog?" she asked in disbelief.

"Puppy," he corrected, grinning.

"You _do_ know that this _puppy _is seventy five bucks, don't you?"

"Sure do," he replied smoothly, "You take debit cards?"

Sakura nodded her head tentatively. She was confused, Li, _the _Li Syaoran, certified crack pot was going to purchase a puppy? A seventy five dollar puppy. . .just so he would be able to talk to her?

She _should_ be flattered.

She _was_ suspicious.

"So, will you listen to me now?"

"Li, please just stop," she sighed as she handed him back his debit card. "Why are you making it so hard?"

"Because I'm intrigued. . .and attracted. . .and enchanted. . .and I want to see why you, of all people, have become someone to invade my dreams every night," he touched her hand sending waves of electricity through her.

"But you've made it perfectly clear that I wasn't anything to begin with," she pointed out and snatched her hand away from him, wondering if she should see a professional about the shock wave.

"Yeah, but I. . ." he tried to speak, but was interrupted by Sakura's manager calling her away. Thankful for the small distraction, Sakura briskly walked away from the man who kept playing ping pong with her thoughts. Five minutes ago she didn't want anything to do with him; five seconds ago she wanted nothing more than to see if his lips on hers would give her the same shock of electricity.

"Kinomoto-san, since business is kind of slow right now, do you want to take off early?" her manager asked.

"Um. . .are you sure?" Sakura asked, glancing over at Syaoran, who was now holding the golden brown puppy in his arms and stroking his fur.

"Yeah. Besides, looks like your mind is with someone else right now." Sakura stiffened as she saw her manager gesture to Syaoran. "So, count out your drawer and get out of here, okay?"

Sakura glanced over at Syaoran nervously. This could either be a really good, or really bad sign.

"Wait for me outside," she heard herself saying, "I'll be there in a few minutes."

Grabbing her purse and mumbling a word of thanks to her manager, she barely remembered to clock out before rushing through the store and out the front door. Sakura was sure that this was a feeling only Syaoran could give her.

The sight she walked into, made her stop and take a breath.

Syaoran was sitting on the curb, playing with the newly purchased pup.

Sure, it wasn't much, but it was a side that Sakura had never really had a chance to experience. She felt a sudden rush of jealousy towards the dog.

Taking a deep breath, she sat down next to him."Alright, I'm listening."

"Here," Syaoran thrust the dog at Sakura, "I bought him for you."

"For me?" Sakura choked, looking dumbly at him.

"Didn't you hear what Rui said, ouka? If you can't be happy bathing yourself, why don't you bathe this little guy?" He paused before whispering, "And for some godforsaken reason I want you to be happy. . ."

Sakura's eyes widened, then softened. She was going to kill him for what he was doing to her, and then bring him back to life and kill him again if he made her regret what she was going to do next. "Kero," she said, taking the pup out of his hands, smiling wide. "He's got gorgeous gold eyes, I hate to admit it, Li, but you have good taste."

Syaoran smirked, pulling out a cigarette and taking a drag. "Don't I know it," he said, staring at her intently. For a moment it seemed as if the winds themselves stopped moving. Even Sakura found herself holding her breathe, as if a single movement, a break in the gaze she held with him, would shatter the very ties of humanity, and the very ground would disappear from under her.

"Sakura. . .you're not going to go out with that. . .pin-prick are you?"

"What guy?"

"The one who you gave your number to," he grunted.

"Oh. . ._Jiro_?"

"I guess," he says through clenched teeth, flicking the cigarette to the ground.

Sakura tilted her head to stare at him, bemused. Li Syaoran was jealous.

"No," she said carefully, watching him.

Syaoran smirked and turned to face her, "No, I didn't think you fell off of ladders for just anyone."

Sakura laughed.

This day was beginning to feel more and more like a dream than actual reality, and she found herself praying to any deity above to let it be real. She didn't remember the last time she was happy. _Really _happy.

No, that wasn't true, the last time she was honestly happy was when Tomoyo still resided in Tomoeda, still living across from her, still having sleepovers over each other's houses. . .and yet when her mind traveled to the last time she truly smiled was whenever Syaoran happened to be around. . .

'_It won't last though,' _Sakura thought, holding Kero in her left hand, _'Something will happen and I'll be back to square one.'_

Without a second thought, Sakura grabbed Syaoran by the collar of his shirt and kissed him hard on the mouth, heart pounding in her chest, head praying she wouldn't end up two steps back.

Just as she was about to disengage, Syaoran's hands found their way to cradle her face, and his tongue snaked its way into that sweet spot in her mouth that made her moan.

Kero's low barking went unnoticed.

To Be continued. . .

A.N. I admit that this has been a long time in the making, so I truly hope that I have made it worthwhile. . .or not worth it at all. . .Anyway, it is way too late, and I've got class at the most ungodliest of hours. A super special thank you to everyone who is still reading this, and who is still reviewing. I sincerely appreciate.


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